The Sword and The Mask
by witchcat2012
Summary: While out shopping, April meets a little girl, alone, on the street and offers to help her get to her aunt's. After seeing how the girl would be treated there, however, she decides to take her in. But what did the aunt mean by "bloodthristy mountain ape?" Why wasn't the girl surprised to meet four mutant turtles and a giant rat? And how will Casey react to his new daughter?
1. Chapter 1

The little girl in the golden dress looked at her rather blankly.

"My name is April Jones," the young woman persisted, placing her groceries on the floor, "is there something wrong? Are you lost?"

The girl shook her head confidently, shifting her two brown packages as she did so.

April blinked, "you sure?"

"Ha-yes, just going to my aunt's home,"

"Alone?"

"Yes,"

April didn't know if the girl was bluffing in front of a stranger or…something. But she did know that the child was alone, and that she couldn't just leave her there on the sidewalk.

"Is it okay if I come with you? Just to make sure nothing happens,"

"…It is fine,"

''''''TMNT"''''

Americans were so odd. What did the orange smelling lady mean when she said 'make sure nothing happens'? Was New York so dangerous? If so, she was grateful for her concern, but she could handle anything that 'happens'.

Yet no matter how much she tried, she couldn't say that to her.

The words would just get stuck in her throat. And no amount of coughing could clear the blockage. All it did was worry the woman.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes,"

"But you were coughing just now,"

"There was something stuck in my throat, it's gone now,"

The woman shrugged, "Alright, if you say so,"

They walked further.

"So…how much farther is it to your aunt's?"

"Not much, I think,"

April halted "You think?"

"My mother has a sister here, My Oji-_grandfather_ told me to go to her if he passed away,"

"So then…"

"He died of old age,"

"I'm so sorry,"

The girl shrugged, "It.. It was bound to happen at some point, there was nothing I could do,"

The next time they spoke again was when they reached their destination.

"Are you sure this is where your aunt lives?"

"Yes," Even the girl seemed a little uncertain.

The front yard was a garden, filled with many different flowers, yellow, pink, purple. It was certain that the aunt was a brilliant gardener.

It also showed that she was a bit overprotective of her plants, the entire perimeter of the house was surrounding by a large wired fence. The fence loomed over the two, crisscrossing the ground with its shadow.

As they watched, a bird landed lightly onto one of the spikes. There was a flash and the bird fell off at their feet, its own twitching.

Before they could respond, the door of the house opened.

"Another one," the woman in the pink flowery dress grimaced, then she saw her visitors. The woman glared at them, particularly at the girl.

"So…that old man's kicked the bucket already?" the woman snorted.

The girl clenched and unclenched her fists. "My grandfather-"

"Shut up, child! Honestly, what was that old man teaching you? How to act like a mountain ape?"

"Don't you dare talk about my Ojii-chan that way!" the girl yelled, "He was a great teacher and the best sam-"

"Silence!" Janet spat, "you will have nothing to do with that nonsense!"

The girl clamped her mouth shut, but her eyes were like tiny blue flames.

April had been uncomfortably watching the conversation and decided now it was time to intervene, "Ma'am?"

Janet looked at her, "Whaddya want?"

"My name is April Jones, and I think you may be a little bit too… hard? She's just a little girl,"

Janet sniffed, "Thank you, Miss April Jones, but I beg to differ, this girl is a barbaric mountain ape who will soon learn children are not to be seen, heard or acknowledged," She turned, "Come child,"

The girl did not move.

"I said come!"

"Never,"

"What. Did. You. Say?"

The girl shook her head, "I will not live with someone who insults my grandfather, family or not,"

"Oh?" Janet sneered, "Then who will take you in?"

Again, the girl was interrupted. "I will sur-"

"I will,"

* * *

Me: My first TMNT fan fiction! WOOT!

OCs belong to me, Nothing else.


	2. Chapter 2

Me: Man is this short! (er) Please tell me what you think of it, and if I got April and Casey out of character.

* * *

"You TOOK IN A KID?!"

Casey looked at the girl, then at April, then at the girl again, his eyes as wide as his motorcycle's wheels. It was 10pm back at the apartment, and after a day working his butt off, Casey was so not in the mood to deal with this.

"I couldn't just leave her there with that horrible woman!" April said defensively, walking through the doorway.

"But adopting her? Couldn't you have just left her at an orphanage or something!?"

"I-" That was actually a good question, why didn't she? April knew the girl would be taken care of in a children's home. "B-because!"

Casey shook his head, "April, can we really take care of daughter? We're barely making it through as it is!"

"We can-we have to try, Casey, she doesn't have anyone else,"

The girl turned her head to April, "If its really that much of a trouble, I can make it on my own,"

Casey and April looked at her, but the girl had already shifted her pale blue gaze, staring straight at the far wall, "I'll be fine," she said again, unemotionally, "I've managed so far, I'll think of something,"

Casey seemed to deflate and sighed as April looked at him meaningfully.

"Fine! We'll take her," He turned to the girl, "We'll take you,"

Her impassive face seemed to flicker, then she regained her composure "Thank you,"

She hesitantly stepped into the room, seemed to look around her for... something. Then shook her head as if reminding herself, closed her eyes, stood for a few seconds, taking in her surroundings. After a few minutes, she walked a few steps on soft open-toed sandals. She opened a door, then looked back at the baffled couple.

"Call me Ina,"

Then entered the room, closing the door on her way.

Casey blinked, "Uhh…Did she just tell us her name?"

April had the same look on her face, "I guess?"

"and walk into the spare bedroom?"

April nodded.

Casey sighed, "I have a feeling I'm gonna regret this,"


	3. Chapter 3

Me: This is when Ina meets the Turtles.

April: I hope they don't scare her...

Casey: She don't really seem like the type to be scared of anythin'...

Me: Her reaction is actually quite different.

April:...different how?

Me: You'll just have ta see for yaself!

Casey:...did you just try to copy my accent?

Me: YUP!

(From now on, I'm going to try and write in Casey's accent, Please let me know if i make any characters OFC)

* * *

"BOOYAKASHA!" Mikey yelled as he jumped onto another building, "Woohoo!"

Donnie sighed, but didn't say a word, if it hadn't worked the few thousand times he said it, it wouldn't work now.

Still, Donnie thought as he dodged a water tower, would it kill him to be a little quieter? Sure, he managed to find a still-wrapped DVD pack of "The Best Monster Movies Of This Century" in the junkyard but that didn't mean he could wake up the whole city with him!

Mikey was completely unaware of Donnie's inside raging and was completely focused on getting to April's (and Casey's) to show them the movies. He yelped and laughed like nobody's business. He was causing so much racket, that Raph _and_ Leo was on the verge of jumping on him, just to shut him up.

Unfortunately for them, the closer they were to the apartment, the louder Mikey got. Until he landed on the emergency steps of the apartment, then, he became strangely quiet.

"why so quiet, Mike?" Raph asked, adding bit hurriedly, "Not that I don't want you to start yelling again,"

Michelangelo put a finger to his lips, his eyes were sparkling and his body was tensed with his excitement, "Shhh, Raphael! I wanna surprise them!"

Raph's eye twitched, Mikey, the guy who must've woken three-quarters of the city yelling his head off, was telling him to shut up?

"I'll show you quiet!"

But before he could actually do anything, Donnie pointed a finger to the nearest window

"Who's that?"

Raph, distracted by Donnie's sudden question, loosened his grip on Mikey's neck, an opportunity that Mikey took gratefully.

Leo followed the direction Donnie was pointing to. Through the glass, he could see into the room and the little girl inside. She was kneeling, facing away from the window. The back of her head showed her black hair, which was folded in a ponytail.

"Is this the right apartment?"

Donnie nodded, "It should be, maybe they adopted a kid,"

"Yeah, right,"

The girl was unwrapping something out of brown paper, another one lay at her side, the thing nestled in it looked like a simple wooden cane. As she lifted the last fold, her shoulders seemed to slump.

Leo leaned in closer, "What is she holding?" he whispered to no one.

The girl, as if in response, held up the object at arms length.

It was a mask, a simple white wolf mask, with three points, two were on the head, and one was the chin. It had simple red markings around and under the eyes, and a thick red line from the top to the painted black nose, splitting on the way as a circle.

Ina held the mask to her face and whispered, "Ojii-chan, this world is so strange, they don't have indoors slippers, it's so different from home, Ojii-chan, but I can't, I won't, stay with Janet-san, I cannot even call her my aunt anymore,"

She paused, taking a breath, letting out her anger, then continued, "Instead, I'll stay with the Jones, at least for now, they are Americans that I met just a few hours ago,"

She paused, almost hearing her grandfather scold her for trusting strangers,

"They are good people, Ojii-chan, the woman, April-san, volunteered to take me in, when she didn't have to, I have not spoken with Casey-san, but I have…good feelings about him? I think you would call it my instinct that told me," She yawned,

"It has been a long and tiring day, Ojii-chan, good night,"

As she set down the mask, something made the back of her neck bristle. The same instinct that made her feel safe with the Jones was now warning her that something was amiss. Casually, she reached for the cane, and pulled on the end, revealing something thin, sharp and metallic underneath.

She spoke loud and clear, "whoever you are, please show yourself,"

* * *

Me: And... CUT!

April: Hey! I was just getting into it!

Me: Its called a Cliffhanger duh!

Casey: I hope the turtles are alrigh'

Me: That's for the next chapter!

**None of the characters (Except Ina) are mine. **


	4. Chapter 4

Mikey blinked, "Do… you think she means us?"

Raph glared at him, "I dunno, who else would be around at this time of night?"

His sarcasm skills were good, but Mikey didn't get it.

"The Foot? The Purple Dragons? Vampires? Donnie?"

Raph thwacked on him head, "us, you moron!"

Leo turned around, but before he could speak (probably scold his brothers for not understanding the meaning of 'silence' and 'stealth'), the little girl on the other side of the glass spoke again,

"I mean it. Come. Out,"

The turtles looked at each other, the light from the window shadowing their faces.

Leo, living to his nickname of Fearless, was the one to lift the windowsill. He was also the first to come into the room, followed by Raph, Mikey and Donnie.

The light didn't blind them, and soon they stood, side-by-side, behind the girl.

Ina could tell, without looking, that these intruders were not ordinary. They smelled like reptiles. Which almost under laid the stench of sewage and the rank water of a sewer (And she knew sewers, she had to sleep in some a few times) it made her nose wrinkle.

There was also the smell of steel, the kind used in making sharp objects made to cut things.

They had weapons.

Her grip tightened on the blade under the cane and pulled the handle a little, revealing a little more thin metal underneath, if they were here to hurt her new guardians, they were going to regret ever coming through her room.

"Who are you, what is your business here?"

What is your business here? Raph almost snorted.

"Big words for a little girl,"

She seemed to bristle at the last two words.

"I am not a little girl! I am twelve!"

At the same time, Leo nudged his arm, "Raph! Try to be nice,"

"What? She's the one making us late,"

"Umm.. Guys?" Mikey whispered, "Could we speed this up? I really wanna get to April's soon,"

The girl turned a little towards them, "April? April Jones?"

The turtle's eyes widened behind their masks, "Yeah," Donnie said, "How did you know?"

She dodged the question and fired her own, "What's your business with her?"

"And why should we tell a little brat like you?"

As you can guess, it was the wrong answer.

Her next movements were fluid and only took a second to complete.

She turned, fully unsheathing the sword and brought it down where she knew the closest turtle was.

Which happened to be Leo, it was his great reflexes that stopped him from being beheaded. He ducked. The blade slashed though the curtain behind him.

Raph's reflexes were even greater. His sais seemed to jump into his hands, "What the heck are you doing kid?"

She faced him, but instead of answering, she slashed again, in his direction.

He caught the blade with one sai and then yanked it. It caused her to stumble forward, leaving her exposed for a few seconds, letting Raph knock his elbow-guard against the small of her back.

She grunted, then spun around and grabbed Raph's forearm.

Raph lifted the girl up easily and she made a slight sound that could've been a curse or a squeak.

But that moment passed and she was swinging upwards, the arm was her bar.

Then the bar was a tightrope, she was on it and, using Raph's head as a launch-pad, slashed again with her sword, this time cutting a little bit of Mikey's bandana.

Mikey jerked his head, banging into the table and saw the damage she did, "Hey! I just washed that!"

She didn't answer and slashed again.

Donnie was analyzing the situation, "How can a twelve year old know such advanced martial arts?"

Leo had his swords out, but Raph and Mikey seemed to be alright with handling her, "Could she be with the Foot?"

"That young?"

"Hey, there's Karai,"

"Good point,"

Even though it was him who had said it, Leo actually had some doubts that she was with the rival ninja clan, she didn't fight quite like a ninja, yet there was something familiar about it…

His chain of thought was cut off by the girl's blade coming right at him.

His own two blades was up and sparks flew as steel crashed against steel, her momentum had caused Leo to give in a little, but his obvious lead in strength was showed almost immediately.

She grit her teeth as she felt her knees bend. She was in a losing fight, she wouldn't survive for long and when she was removed, they would have a straight route to the Jones.

She remembered how April had stood up for her and took her in.

Then there was the smell of blood.

NO!

The sudden resistance his opponent gave back surprised Leo and he grunted a little as his swords were pressed towards him.

It became a stalemate. The other turtles didn't-couldn't intervene in fear that one wrong move and it was over for their leader. All they could do was prepare themselves for whatever the happened next.

They couldn't prepare for anything of course (Not even Donnie, if you could believe it,) so all of them were surprised when the door to the room suddenly opened.

Ina and Leo was so surprised that they both dropped their weapons.

Casey looked around the room and rubbed his head.

"Aaaand I'm regretting this,"


	5. Chapter 5

Me: This is continuing from the last chapter (duh)

* * *

"April!" Mikey ran up to the couple, a relieved grin on his face, "Casey!"

April stared at Mikey's cut bandana, "What on earth happened here?"

Mikey launched a rushed, out-of-breath explanation that the couple could only make out a few words.

"Blahblahblah monster movies blahblah wrong room blahblah girl blah sword blah raph blah loudmouth"

"I am not a loudmouth!" Raph yelled.

"Don't interrupt!" Mikey yelled back, "Anyway…uh...what was I saying again? Oh yeah, and then she took out this sword from nowhere and started attacking us then you guys showed up!" He paused to breathe, "How did you find us anyway?"

Casey and April exchanged glances.

Casey scratched his head, "This is our apartment,"

April walked to the girl whose arms were hanging limply to her sides.

"Ina, what were you doing?" She squatted down, "Where did you get that sword?"

As always, she avoided the question. Ina turned from her former opponent to April with her eyes knitted with confusion.

"April-san, you know these intruders?"

The older woman tilted her head, "Ina, these are friends, not intruders," She looked at Leo but still spoke to Ina, "Sure, they may look strange but they're actually quite nice,"

"'Cept Raph," Mikey whispered to Don.

"I heard that," Raph sheathed his weapons, seeing no reason to use them, "Who is this kid anyhow?"

"Ina, turtles, turtles, Ina," Casey shrugged sheepishly, "Long story,"

"April-san took me in after I left my aunt,"

"…Okay maybe not,"

"Wait, 'took in'? As in 'adopted'?" Donnie quoted using his fingers, "You adopted a little girl?"

Raph patted Casey's back, "Didn't know ya had it in ya, Case!"

Casey blushed red and held his hands up, "It-it ain't like that! It was April's idea!"

Ina, now (kind of) convinced these intruders were not threats, sheathed her sword. It looked like a normal wooden cane.

Leo glanced at the cane with interest, as a katana wielder himself, he appreciated how well made the sword was, and he wondered where on earth Ina had got it.

But it was getting late, the fight had drained their energy, they were tired, so they left, waving and saying their goodbyes, promising to visit again soon.

April closed the windowsill and sighed, "Ina?"

Ina looked up from placing the mask and the cane into a drawer, "Yes?"

April sat down, and said four words that sent Ina's stomach sinking, "We need to talk,"

* * *

Me: Yeah, those words that all kids despise...even if they've never heard them before (Like Ina)

This might feel a bit rushed...

TMNT does not belong to me. Ina with her (censored) sword skills does.


	6. Chapter 6

**Its been a while huh? I'm experiementing with different types of ANs, this makes me feel all ****powerful! **

**Raph: Don't get a big head **

**Lei: Like you're the one to talk -.-**

* * *

"I apologize,"

Mikey turned from his pancakes. Donnie put down his mug of coffee. Leo gulped down his cereal and stared. Even Raph looked up, slightly more awake than usual.

April, standing outside the entrance of the kitchen, leaned towards Casey's ear, "Maybe a bit too early?"

He shrugged.

Ina had her hands behind her back, "Please forgive me for being such a ba-for being so rash,"

She walked to Mikey, who still hadn't left the stove, "I'm sorry if I injured you,"

Mikey grinned, "No prob' little dudette, it was just a mask, I have others,"

Her eyebrows raised, _Prob? Doodette? Must be a dialect. _Still, she was relieved that he didn't have any grudges. Ina smelt the eggs and bacon even over the sewage stench, (which was a lot weaker here than in the tunnels). Her mouth watered, she hadn't had breakfast yet.

She kept her face composed. It was her fault for being so insistent on getting here, she couldn't ask these strangers to give her their food. It just didn't make sense to her.

Thankfully, she didn't need to ask. Mikey had seen her and knew what she wanted. Using his spatula, he expertly flipped out some pancakes onto his plate and held it out to her.

"Here," he said.

Ina bent down, her nose twitched and some drool escaped her mouth, she wiped it off with one oversized sleeve.

Mikey smiled, "Its for you, you can have it,"

Her sleeve stopped in mid-wipe, hiding her eyes.

"If you don't want it, I could-"

She took it so fast that she left an afterimage of the plate.

Mikey stopped fighting the grin that he was hiding as Ina, deliberately avoiding his eye contact, sat down on the nearest chair.

She paused, almost unsure what to do, not having been given any implements to eat with.

There was a metallic clatter, "There we go," Mikey said as he left a knife and fork on the plate.

Ina nodded to him, taking them in her hands. She raised them and licked her lips. The smell was irresistible now.

"_Itadakimasu," _She said softly, cutting the soft pancake and relishing the fluffiness.

There was a quiet pause as they realized what she said, including Ina herself.

Mikey was somewhere in between lost and amused, "What was that?"

"I'm not sure," Donnie had a look, the look that he put on whenever he found an interesting math problem on the computer, "Its sounded like another language,"

"That's because it is," Leo was already next to her, so all he had to do was lean a little.

"(How is the pancake?)" Leo spoke strangely, not in English.

Ina turned to him quickly, eyes the size of her plate. She gulped down her last bite and spoke in the same odd language,

"(I-its good, but where did you learn Japanese)?"

Leo smiled, "(From my father,)"

Something seemed to flash in her eyes, something that resembled sadness.

_So that's it,_ Leo thought,

Out loud he said, "(Would you like to meet him?)"

Ina hesitated; she faced her plate, which still had some left over.

"(After?)" She said hopefully,

"(Sure,)"

_+_+_+_AFTER_+_+_+

Splinter sensed them before he heard them, April, Casey, his son Leo and, a stranger, it must have been the girl his sons had spoken about.

He opened his eyes as they entered his room, he expected a gasp from the stranger, it didn't come. Odd.

April and Leo kneeled down, Casey couldn't kneel for more than a minute so he sat down. The stranger simply stood there, hesitant and confused.

Thankfully, Leo was not the only who could sense emotion.

"Ina," Leo said, "this is Splinter, my father and my sensei,"

It was only then did she kneel meekly.

With slight curiosity, Splinter looked at her, Ina stared straight at him, eyes unblinking and alert. However, he sensed no fear or apprehension in the room other than perhaps Leo, who didn't know how to react to the silence and was getting skittish with every minute of it, so Splinter spoke.

"I am pleased to meet you Ina," He bent from his waist in a bow.

"As am I," Ina bent far lower than him, almost touching the floor, it was traditional for the younger to bow lower than their seniors, the fact that she made a gaffe may have made her bow even lower.

So she knew Japanese customs, "You must have a lot of questions about us,"

Ina lifted her head, "yes, I do,"

Splinter told her the story, from how he had once been a simple rat, to how the Foot had crashed the Jones' wedding. Ina's eyes became wider and wider as with every word. Especially at the beginning, when he elaborated about his life as a rat. He could sense her shock and amazement, then her suspicion as he talked about the way of the Ninja.

"You are Ninjas?" She said, trying to keep her feelings out of her voice.

Splinter understood, "I see your hesitation, do not worry, we follow the code of Bushido as well,"

The suspicion faded, "The way of honor," She said in recognition, there was something else in her voice as well, something Splinter couldn't quite catch.

April and Leo glanced at Ina at her reply,

Splinter only nodded, "My sons and I are honorable warriors, I give you my word that no harm shall fall upon you,"

"Mm," her head bounced once, discontented.

"And to your guardians as well,"

Her head snapped up, and Splinter smiled, so that was it.

'Awww…" April smiled as well, "you were worried for us?"

Ina's head kept low, but her glowing red face said it all, she could feel their smiles, even Casey was smirking.

"Thank you for your time," Getting up, Ina turned and left the room, not looking back once.

The laughter only started when she was out of earshot.

* * *

**Ah, How I love teasing! **

Ina: (Raises sword)

**See ya! (Whoosh!) **


End file.
